On August 8, Acting Governor of Saratov Region Roman Busargin visited Saratov University. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chair of the Government of Saratov Region – Minister of Education Mikhail Orlov and Deputy Chair of the Government of the Saratov Region – Minister of Health Oleg Kostin. The guests were greeted by the heads of Saratov University led by SSU Rector, Professor Aleksei Chumachenko.
Before visiting the research laboratories, Aleksei Chumachenko told the guests how the Priority 2030 programme was implemented by Saratov University. The participants of the meeting found out about each of the five SSU strategic projects: Personalised Medicine Technologies, ICT Electronics, Chemistry and New Materials, Digital University, and Teacher in the Educational Paradigm.
At first, the acting governor visited the Magnetic Metamaterials Laboratory. Its staff commented on the advanced developments and research carried out at the university, including nanomagnetic films. Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Mechanics and Physics, SSU, Alexander Sadovnikov showed the only system in Russia of Mandelstam-Brillouin spectroscopy with a cryogenic module. He pointed out that Saratov University occupied a leading position in Russia in that sphere. ‘We are a very important link in the field of measurement technologies in the country. This measuring unit is unique. Now we are becoming leaders in Russia in this area,’ Alexander Sadovnikov said. Roman Busargin asked how ultrathin films could be applied.
Then, the SSU researchers told the acting governor about the SSU innovation and technology cluster, within which two technology centres had been established. In particular, it was about the heat treatment of metals, a joint project with PJSC Tantalus. ‘This is the only centre in Russia of this calibre in terms of heat treatment, which we have taken from world practice. Our customers from Barnaul to Kaliningrad bring their parts to us, and only here competent specialists can carry out vacuum heat treatment of coatings using highly professional equipment,’ Andrei Shvartsman, a representative of a small innovative enterprise of SSU – LLC TechnoTherm-Saratov, said. He noted the work of the SSU scientists in developing wear-resistant coatings. This technology is currently used in parts manufacturing at the main KAMAZ conveyor.
Deputy Head of the Joint Institute of Micro- and Nanoelectronics Dmitrii Suchkov demonstrated experimental samples of radio frequency identification tags for radio frequency identification systems – RFID systems. Such systems are currently widely used in logistics, nuclear power, oil and gas industry, and agriculture.
Another SSU unique project is the development of the Smart Sleep Laboratory, which is one of the world leaders in the study of the restorative properties of sleep. There special hats for new-borns were developed, which help to remove toxins from the brain during sleep. According to Oksana Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya, Deputy Head for Commercialization of Research Development at the Research Medical Centre, SSU, two stimuli are used in the device – light and inaudible sound. The light guides are sewn into the cap, and a stimulating signal is sent to the lymphatic vessels-vacuum cleaners that purify brain tissues from toxins and metabolites. The Minister of Health of Saratov Region Oleg Kostin became interested in that development.
Head of the Research Medical Centre, SSU, Chair of the Department of Optics and Biophotonics, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valerii Tuchin told the acting governor about the work and the research conducted by in Remote Controlled Theranostic Systems Lab., as well as about the achievements of young scientists and grants they received this year. ‘Theranostics is diagnostics and therapy. The advantage of these technologies is that we can not only understand what the cell is made of and whether the drug has been delivered to it, but also remove the tumour with a laser,’ the professor explained.
In the Biomedical Photoacoustics Lab., Valerii Tuchin showed how photoacoustic installations work.
After the presentation of a number of advanced developments, Head of Priority Projects and Programmes Elena Yelina told the participants of the meeting about pedagogical education at SSU and commented on the unique pedagogical projects – Virtual Pedagogical Course and the Consilium Support Centre for Young Teachers.
‘We are the only university in the region that trains school teachers, and we understand all the personnel problems in this area very well. Therefore, we have included the pedagogical direction in the Priority 2030 programme and are now implementing it,’ she emphasised. Professor Elena Yelina noted that, by analogy with a medical residency, a pedagogical residency could be developed, and our university and the region could become an innovative site for such an experiment.
‘What is connected with pedagogy is very relevant for us now. Everything you do in this direction is important. The classical university should become a place for the preparation of pedagogical personnel for the region, as they are now required everywhere in Saratov Region and in Russia,’ Roman Busargin highlighted.
Head of the Office Engineering and Industrial Design, SSU, Sergei Korotkovskii spoke about the advantages of phosphogypsum and its application. He led the group which developed new technologies based on phosphogypsum and prepared the regulations for the use of phosphogypsum in road construction. ‘The most important thing is that this material exceeds all strength standards and can withstand a load of up to 30 tons per axle. Roads made of phosphogypsum can be built in swampy areas or without a drainage layer. They are guaranteed to serve 15 years or more,’ he explained.
Associate Professor of the Department of Geomorphology and Geoecology Vladimir Danilov talked about GIS technologies and their wide application. For many years, Saratov University has been carrying out various research and R&D projects based on the use of geoinformation technologies and aimed at solving various regional problems. Vladimir Danilov emphasised their prospects and effectiveness. ‘The geoinformation management systems developed by SSU are aimed at solving administrative management tasks and optimising management. We have added all regional layers and schemes of municipal districts of Saratov Region to the system. In addition to the territorial planning scheme, we have developed a mechanism for uploading local geodetic survey data performed at a scale of 1:500 for selecting territories, according to a number of criteria.’
Dean of the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine and Medical Technologies Sergei Kireev demonstrated a software programme that allows to virtually simulate operations. The product was created by the staff of Saratov University. In addition, he showed the Pirogov anatomical system. The feature of the interactive system is the ability to diagnose and study clinical anatomy. Both research and practice are combined here,’ the dean said about the device.
During the visit, Roman Busargin repeatedly drew attention to the SSU specific developments, highlighted their high level, and clarified the details. The university scientists noted that many of the ideas and technologies presented meet the challenges of import substitution and can be used nationwide. ‘Taking into account the stage of the research and development involvement, I can assure you that on June 10, 1909, Emperor Nicholas II could not even imagine how far the classical university would advance. The scientific developments and the practical component are well combined here,’ the acting governor noted at the end of the visit.
